By Andrew Skerritt
Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Essential Theatre presents “A Cool Drink A Water,” a mainstage series written and directed by special guest director Thomas W. Jones II.
A Cool Drink A Water features a cast of five Essential Theatre students and an alum of the program. The show explores Benita, the wife of Asa, who deals with her struggling marriage by conversing with her deceased mother. Walt, her brother, plots new schemes and battles with his fed-up wife and wannabe rapper son in this imagined sequel to A Raisin in the Sun.
“The takeaway from this production is to learn to be easy with ourselves and those we love,” Director Jones said. “We are all we have, and we need to make sure we honor ourselves, our families, and our ancestors. There is one love in family, and the family is Now.”
The cast includes theatre performance students, Kayla Badiam of Houston; Todd Bellamy II of Sarasota, Florida; Rhody Jean of Miami; Tayla Underwood of Dallas; Omari Whitehead of Miami; and alumna, Monica Woods of Pensacola, Florida.
A Cool Drink A Water previews on Wednesday, March 30, and will run until Sunday, April 3, with opening night scheduled for Friday, April 1, in the Charles Winter Wood Theatre. This production is suitable for audiences ages 13 years old and above.
